


The Gift of the Sages

by LawofJo



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Gift Giving, Holidays, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Post-Calamity Ganon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:22:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21912061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawofJo/pseuds/LawofJo
Summary: A poverty-stricken Link and Zelda, with the Hylian Feast of Skyloftia upon them, have no gifts for each other, and must decide whether selling pieces of their identities are worth the love shared between them.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 42





	The Gift of the Sages

One blue rupee and three green ones. That was all that was sitting in Zelda’s clenched fist. She had always saved as best she could, in her careful buying of meat and other foods, but with the winter months arriving faster than expected, she had needed to allot for warmer clothing and blankets as well. As for what was left… just one blue rupee and three green ones, bringing the total to eight. And the next day would be the feast of Skyloftia.

“Your Highness! Have you made your decision?”

Claree’s trill pierced through Zelda’s thoughts, and she blinked several times before shaking her head. “I’m afraid I’m just window shopping today,” she replied with a slight husk in her voice.

“Ah, I hear you. I’m all but broke after buying for the feast, as well as my family’s presents.” The young woman scrawled a new price on the tag attached to a dark green tunic, no doubt lowering the already fairly reasonable prices Kakriko’s boutique had to offer. “And I’m willing to bet you probably _splurged_ on a gift for Master Link, didn’t you?” Claree asked with a wink.

“I… certainly gave it a lot of thought.” And she had. It had been all-too clear what his gift was to be this Skyloftia. What an unscrupulous holiday this had become in the past century, a fact that made Zelda turn up her nose far too often whenever she and Link set foot in any store across Hyrule. A race to select the perfect meal components, ladies making how quickly Skyloftian gifts had been acquired a bragging point, not to mention the noisy crocodile tears of children who simply had to have every toy in the land. Celebrations at the castle a hundred years ago had been rather extravagant, of course, but the royal family had still never lost sight of the feast’s importance: The day the first reincarnation of the legendary hero, the boy from the sky, was honored as he began his journey to discover Hyrule and defeat the demon king Demise.

It seemed odd to honor a day that had ultimately brought about the curse Zelda and Link were fated to bear since birth. But to her, this was ultimately a day to celebrate their home, slowly being restored to its former glory following the Great Calamity. And as this was their first Skyloftia since being reunited, Zelda had desperately wanted to secure the one gift that would mean the most to Link. Her Link. Her hero, and the man she loved.

“Speak of the devil!” called Claree, waving eagerly over Zelda’s shoulder. The princess turned, feeling her hand captured in another and a pair of lips press against her cheek. She grinned, resting a hand on the side of her familiar stranger’s face as sapphire blue eyes met her jade ones.

“What kept you?” Zelda whispered in his ear.

_“We will be feasting on boar tonight,”_ Link signed with a proud smile.

“Boar? I must say I’m impressed,” Zelda chuckled. “If you’d left the hunting to me, I’m afraid we’d each eat little more than a sparrow.” She saw him reach down and grasp a small hilt protruding from the top of his boot, extracting a rather old blade encrusted with dried gore, and grimaced as Link cleaned the weapon used to slay their dinner on his cloak.

“Link, that is _most_ unbecoming. Especially of that particular dagger.”

Link shrugged before mouthing, _“My father wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”_ Ever since they had found the dagger in the ruins of the old captain of the guard’s quarters, and Link had mournfully identified it as having been his father’s, he had taken it everywhere with him. Zelda certainly did not blame him for this, but did wish he took better care of it.

“And keeping it in your boot is unsafe,” she added, taking it from his hands and slipping it into the pack on his belt. “It’s a relic now, a symbol of our old royal guard. Wouldn’t you like to find a proper sheath for it?’

_Perhaps a gold one?_ She finished that thought silently to herself, picturing the small scabbard hanging in Gerudo armor shop as if she were there. By Hylia, if she couldn’t afford it then when she first laid eyes on it, she could never afford it now.

_“Someday,”_ Link’s fingers danced, wandering to her neck so he could run them through the long silky golden tresses cascading down Zelda’s back. _“For now, I need to spoil my Princess with everything she deserves.”_

“Don’t be silly, you know we haven’t the money for such promises.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, a bit chapped from riding through the chilly countryside. There was a ring from the back door of the shop, and Claree jumped with a start.

“That will be my merchant with the new stock. You two behave out here while I’m gone!” The shopkeeper winked and giggled before disappearing through the archway behind the counter. Zelda rolled her eyes, pulling back from Link and giving his ponytail a playful yank.

_“It’s getting cold, I should bring you back to Hateno with me,”_ her knight insisted.

_“Link,_ Epona can’t possibly carry both of us and the boar meat all at the same time. I have no problem walking on my own.” Zelda’s hand found the golden bow strapped securely behind her back that she was more than adept at using, plus she had plenty of arrows in the quiver she had borrowed from him. Should she be targeted, there was nothing a well-placed shot couldn’t take care of.

_“You underestimate my steed, she’s a lot stronger now.”_

“Go on, Hero,” Zelda said a bit firmer, steering him towards the door. “I’ll meet you back at the house later.” Link’s mouth twisted into a frown, his eyes downcast as he rubbed the back of his neck, but she kept her eyes narrowed at him. He had to leave before her, or else he would surely purchase her something from the boutique once she had gone, with money they did not have. Just for the sake of buying her a Skyloftian gift. _Foolish man._

Claree reappeared behind the counter a few moments after Link had left the shop, her eyes wide as saucers. “Princess, I—I wanted you to be the first to see— I mean, I-I can hardly believe it myself, but—”

“What is it, Claree?” Zelda went back to the counter to find her holding a red velvet box stained with age, the hinges and clasp discolored and a bit rusted. Her fingers shook slightly as they undid the clasp and slowly opened the lid. At first the contents appeared to be ordinary hair garlands, swirling in delicate white gold, until Zelda noticed the Triforce and spread wings stitched into the velvet lid interior. The royal family’s crest.

“Rudolph told me — though he has been known to exaggerate to get me to inflate the price — but he _thinks_ these are the very braid garlands that belonged to Hyrule’s Princess approximately around the Era of Twilight. How they wound up with him I’ll never know, he has his sources, but you know…” Claree trailed off, practically vibrating with excitement. It was clear she rarely received inventory this historically valuable and would charge a pretty rupee regardless if her merchant forced her to or not.

Zelda let out a long breath as she gently removed the silk ribbons from their case. “It’s hard to say whose they were for sure…” She was lying. Wound around one of the garlands was a single brown hair, and she knew from an old portrait in the castle that her ancestor who reigned during the Twilight Era was a brunette. A strange sense of longing came over her, filling her lungs until her chest ached, pushing against her heart until it threatened to break. 

She wanted these garlands. Very much. True, her life as royalty was far behind her, and it would be years before the kingdom was restored to where she could assume the throne. She was hardly one to care about her appearance, opting for more practical clothing than anything pretty or stylish. But couldn’t she be allowed just a smidge of vanity? She shut her eyes, imagining wrapping the garlands around her long locks, or Link’s touch grazing her ears and neck as he braided them into her hair. They would look perfect with the pale pink frock she wore for the spring season...

“Oh...oh Princess I—I hope you understand that I cannot just give these to you,” Claree said sadly, and Zelda felt her eyes grow a bit wet when she opened them. “My sellers always get a percentage of my profits, and these are expected to fetch a high price.”

“I understand,” Zelda nodded, closing the lid and sliding the case back into Claree’s hands. “It’s alright. I am no longer a true Princess of Hyrule, therefore I am not entitled to such heirlooms. Just… be sure they are sold to someone who will cherish them.”

“I will. Good day, Princess.”

Blinking back tears, Zelda turned from the counter and hastened out into the late morning sun. The mission today was not for herself, but for Link. And if she left now, she could make it to Gerudo Town by late afternoon and desperately haggle with the salesgirl. _Hylia, give me strength._

From the window at the rear of the boutique, peering in to see Claree lock the white gold garlands away in a safe, Link whirled away and mounted Epona quickly, whipping her reigns so they took off in the opposite direction down the road. Come hell or high water, he would scrounge up enough rupees in time to give Zelda an unforgettable Skyloftia.

* * *

“I appreciate the extra help lately,” Tasseren, the Dueling Peaks Stable owner said to Link later that day as the former knight made his rounds in that direction. “It’s not every day our horses are taken care of by such an expert hand.”

_“I’m no expert,”_ Link waved off silently, but did manage to keep his rather charming smile intact. If there was anything people never seemed to get tired of telling him, it was how good-looking he was. And while Link was a humble man, he was also plenty guilty of using that charm to his advantage. Stomping the mud off his boots outside the stable, he leaned one elbow on the counter expectantly, catching the mustached man off guard.

“Erm, well ya know, we’re closing the stable early today. The wife wants me home to help her prepare the meal and all, and you— well, I assume you and the Princess have your own celebrations planned.”

Link lifted his shoulders in a slight shrug, letting his grin fall lopsided. The simple life he and Zelda led often included the simplest of celebrations. A small meal he cooked himself, with varying results, and sometimes the exchanging of a gift or two. Really all that mattered to him was Zelda’s happiness, and in most unroyalike fashion she never demanded anything unreasonable of him. She never had, not even a century ago. Her patience and kindness were just some of the many things that made him realize just how much he cared for her, and he was ready to give her the world if she asked for it. It was why working this extra shift and collecting his bonus was so important right now.

“Well in any case, I wish you both a blessed Skyloftia,” Tasseren nodded to him, turning from the counter and assuming their business was done.

_“Aren’t you forgetting something?”_ Link signed, emitting a short grunt from his throat to get the owner’s attention. Tasseren looked confused for a moment, then let out a laugh.

“M’boy, I gave you your pay earlier this week, don’t you remember?” Link didn’t laugh back, but he did remember. That money had gone towards their necessities, leaving next to nothing left for Skyloftian gifts. He stared him down for several awkward moments until Tasseren nervously rubbed his goatee. “Well, you see, I can’t pay you _now_ for your efforts. Been awfully slow today and all. But I’ll be sure to tack the extra hours on for your pay next week.”

Link’s face fell, and all hope falling with it. That was his only chance to raise the money to purchase those garlands for Zelda’s hair. There had been no mistaking the light in her eyes as she held them, nor how crestfallen she had looked when she had been forced to return them to Claree. Zelda, his love, was so beautiful inside and out, and she deserved beautiful things to reflect that. Giving Tasseren a nod in understanding, he slid his arms off the counter and glumly headed back out to Epona.

“Link?” He spun around expectantly, only to see Tasseren giving him a pitying look. “May the Goddess smile upon you and your beloved.”

_Yeah, sure,_ Link thought bitterly, hoisting himself up into Epona’s saddle and straightening out her reins. Now what? How could Zelda, the very reincarnation of the Goddess, smile when he had nothing to offer her on this most holy of Hyrulean days? Feeling for the small hilt in his boot, Link extracted the old dagger and twirled it between his fingers. 

_What would you do, Father?_ He sighed deeply. It was hard to know what he would do when Link had only remembered the man a mere month ago. Flashes of a strapping broad-shouldered captain in the king’s personal guard, ruffling Link’s hair proudly when he became Zelda’s personal knight, caring for him and his little sister as best a single father could. He closed his eyes despondently, wishing he could remember more. But there was nothing there. This dagger was all he had left of him, the only family Link had ever known.

“Excuse me,” came a low rumbling voice, startling Link out of his thoughts. He glanced down from atop Epona to find Domidak, a regular at Dueling Peaks, staring up at him with narrowed dark eyes. “Couldn’t help overhearing your predicament. You need to make some fast cash?”

In spite of himself, Link nodded eagerly. It was hard to tell whether these lodgers who came and went were trustworthy, but at this point he was desperate for help.

“Figured as much. Nothing makes us spend our hard-earned dough like a lady with a pretty face, eh?”

Link wrinkled his nose, refusing to dignify that remark with a response.

“Alright, I can tell you don’t take too kindly to that. But believe me when I say I can get you more than enough rupees to satisfy your girl. You listening closely?”

Link leaned down so he was almost nose to nose with Domidak, and the traveler cupped his hand around his ear to whisper his secret: “Left, left, right, center, left, center.”

_“What?”_ Link mouthed.

Domidak sighed impatiently. “I assume your travels have taken you to Lurelin Village at least once, yes?” Link nodded, a bit more hesitantly. “And a go-getter kid like you has obviously tried your hand at Cloyne’s Treasure Chest Shop, haven’t you?” Again, Link nodded, eliciting a chuckle from Domidak. “Guessing your luck ran out pretty quickly. Well, my partner Prissen and I figured out the old swindler’s secret. He hides the silver rupees in the exact same order of chests _every_ time.”

_“You’re kidding.”_

“I swear on my life, boy. And if I were you, I’d haul myself down there and take advantage of this information: Left, left, right, center, left, center. Now don’t get cocky, I’d walk away after that if it were me. But that’s six hundred rupees right there, more than enough for your sweetheart’s present.”

He was right, it _was_ more than enough. Claree would be over the moon if Link walked in with six hundred rupees to offer for the ancient princess’ braid garlands. And Zelda… Link’s heart skipped a beat just imaging her face beaming like the morning sun when he presented her with the very ribbons she had been eyeing after she had assumed he left. He smirked— she should have known him better than that by now.

_“Alright,”_ Link signed slowly, his teeth nibbling at his lip anxiously. _“Give me that order one more time.”_

* * *

“No,” Saula sighed out, folding her arms resolutely over her chest.

“Please, I’m begging you,” Zelda’s voice cracked, her face flushing in embarrassment as she kept her eyes fixed solely on the solid gold sheath displayed directly above the armor shopkeeper’s head. “I don’t even need the dagger, just the sheath.”

“Oh, well in that case… fifty rupees.”

“Saula, it’s for Link, it’s his Skyloftian gift,” Zelda finally admitted. “I don’t have the money right now, but I promise I will get it to you in time.”

“And just when is ‘in time’?” Saula asked curtly. “I run an honest business, Princess, and I demand payment upfront. If you really want it so badly, why don’t you ask the Chief for a loan?”

Zelda’s face bloomed a deeper red. She couldn’t ask Riju for money any more than Link could ask Prince Sidon, both of them were far too prideful for that. Shoving her hand in her pocket, her fingers wound around the mere eight rupees and fisted them angrily.

“Is there absolutely nothing I can say to convince you?”

“I’m afraid nothing other than ‘here are the fifty rupees for the scabbard’,” Saula sighed out. There was a shred of humanity glimmering in the young Gerudo woman’s golden eyes, therefore Zelda could only blame her harsh tone on holiday stress. She herself was growing more stressed by the moment, considering she had no backup plan for Link’s gift on such short notice.

Whirling away from Saula, Zelda flung herself out into the dry desert air, refreshingly warm after the cool winds of Kakariko, yet it did nothing to quell the chill in her soul. Around her, little girls laughed as they tugged on their mothers’ arms, begging them to reveal what they were getting under their trees the next day, chattering excitedly about their upcoming feasts and fancy dinner clothes they would wear. The former princess couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Of course she still had Link, and in many ways that was more than enough to fulfill her. Yet still it was times like these when she longed for the ease of being a royal daughter, with the freedom to have whatever material possession one wanted, whenever one wanted it.

Link… he deserved more than just her constant companionship and love. After everything he had gone through for Hyrule, and for her, he deserved more than anything this entire world had to offer. But if she could just secure this scabbard for a dagger that meant so much to him, that held so much of his past that had been lost, then just maybe she might give him a small semblance of happiness.

“What’s troubling you, Your Highness?” asked Isha the jewelry shop owner across the way as Zelda trudged past her. 

“It’s a long story,” Zelda muttered, glancing up at the woman who towered a full foot taller than her. “But in short, I haven’t been able to secure the perfect gift for Link.”

“Goodness, and the holiday is tomorrow.” Isha tapped a finger to her chin, “Well, I have heard tell that the best way to a voe’s heart is through his stomach.”

“Especially with mine,” Zelda managed to laugh. “If I don’t make it home in time tonight, he may eat the entire meal himself.” Her smile faded, “No, it’s… it’s something a bit closer to home that I really wish to get him. Unfortunately money is very tight at the moment.” Zelda’s throat closed up, her eyes misting over suddenly, and she raised a hand to hide them. “And I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You poor thing,” Isha shook her head, the auburn buns on either side of her head bobbing back and forth. “Come inside, I’ll make you some tea.” Zelda felt an arm wrap around her shoulders as Isha brought her inside her shop. The jewelry made here was quickly becoming famous across the rest of Hyrule, mostly due to the dual healing properties and sheer beauty Isha’s products offered. Zelda knew Link himself owned a pair of topaz earrings which warded off electrical attacks, and had given her a diamond circlet to shield her from rogue ancient technology. Truthfully, as much as she loved it, she would sell it back now if only to get the money she needed.

_Sell._ Zelda silently cursed herself. Why hadn’t she thought to bring anything from the house that she could sell to the Gerudo merchants?

“Have a seat while I put the pot on.” Isha sat her down on a stool next to some very different inventory than Zelda was expecting in a store of this nature. Atop the row of mannequin heads were different styles of headbands woven with what appeared to be hair. Mostly the typical deep red of the Gerudo race, but there were a few bands of black and silver to offer variety.

“Isha?” Zelda called back to her curiously. “Are these made of _real_ hair?”

“Oh of course!” Isha replied, hurrying next to her and clapping her hands excitedly to show off her creations. “These have easily been my hottest accessory this season— _every_ little girl in Gerudo Town and beyond has or wants one. It saves their mothers time from having to style their hair in the morning, too. They just put one of these on and _poof!_ Instant braid!”

She walked up and down the row of headbands proudly, “I’m really trying to expand my color options. When those Rito women come to town, they usually want one of every shade, and even the Gerudo become bored of the same red all the time. So I’ve been looking into new… ideas.”

Isha stopped in her tracks, her voice breathless as she stared at Zelda. Not at her face, but at her golden hair, and the way it caught the light from the lanterns overhead. “Come to think of it, I’ve never had a gold swatch before.” Her hand involuntarily reached out, a finger winding its way around a silky strand, which caused Zelda to flinch back and nearly fall off the stool.

“Isha! What on earth—?”

“Princess,” Isha cut her off, grabbing her by the shoulders with sudden excitement flashing in her eyes. “You said you needed money, didn’t you?”

* * *

“Haven’t seen your face around here in quite some time.” Cloyne was an intimidating-looking yet ultimately harmless man, who tended to treat his returning customers like old friends. He studied Link’s face as he entered the hut, windswept from the breakneck speed he had been riding his horse, tense around the jawline and breathing a bit unevenly. “You’re not just here for a fun round of luck are you?”

Link shook his head and wordlessly dropped a single rupee into the man’s open palm. Knowing the routine well enough, he turned his back so the treasure shop owner could shuffle the chests around, waiting for him to clear his throat to indicate he was ready.

“Yep, I’ve seen that face on plenty of other men before. Sometimes they leave here happier, sometimes not so much. Here’s hoping you come out better.” The bald man gestured to the usual three chests behind him, and Link promptly approached the one on the left. Once more he went over the order in his head Domidak had given him: _Left, left, right, center, left, center._

Sliding his fingers under the chest latch, he unclasped it and opened the lid as he had on hundreds of chests across Hyrule before, expecting a brilliant flash of silver gleaming back at him.

_What?_

He fished out the green rupee at the bottom, holding it up almost in horror. 

“Don’t look so shocked now,” Cloyne laughed. “This is hardly the first time you’ve lost from me.”

Domidak had said “left”, hadn’t he? Unless he lied. But why would he? Nothing about tricking Link out of money he didn’t have benefitted Domidak in the slightest. Link shook his head, thinking he had to have just heard wrong. He had five more tries after all. He was bound to get at least _one_ silver rupee.

He handed the green rupee back to Cloyne and let him fiddle with the chests again. Taking a deep breath, he stuffed his hand in his pack and gave the dagger a rub for luck. _C’mon Father, help me out here._

He opened the left chest the second time. Green.

The right. Green.

Center. Green.

Left. Green.

And center once more. Green.

“Ah, so this is why you’ve been gone,” Cloyne muttered in a tone that somehow suggested both admiration and disdain at the same time. “Off learning my secret order for the hundred rupees, weren’t you?”

_“Apparently not well enough,”_ Link’s fingers shook as he signed. 

“Had to change up the order when some bloke from far off figured it out and started spreading it around. But you understand that, don’t you boy? You understand I gotta keep my business afloat?”

Link understood. All anyone had been asking him that day was if he understood. Understood that people needed the business during the holiday. Understood that their lives needed providing for. Link knew all of that. But that didn’t mean he was contented. Far from it. He was tired, hungry, and completely destitute at this point. He wanted nothing more than to just go home to Zelda and fall asleep in her arms. But at the same time this would mean admitting that he had no Skyloftian gift for her. And nothing about that sat right with him.

Again, his hand reached for his father’s dagger, fisting it at the hilt. He had wanted this dagger the moment they found it, and Zelda could instantly see it in his eyes. She insisted he take it rather than leave it behind with the other artifacts. “It’s yours,” she had said in that heavenly singsong voice of hers. “Why wouldn’t it be? It was your father’s, so naturally it now belongs to you.”

Something snapped into place in Link’s brain, and suddenly his heart pounded in his ears. Those white gold braid garlands in Claree Boutique— they were Zelda’s! She could say all she wanted that she wasn’t a princess anymore, Link never believed it for a second. The garlands had belonged to a past Princess of Hyrule. So naturally, as a direct descendant, they were now hers.

His blood curdled. How _dare_ anyone try to profit off them right under her nose?

“Hey! Kid, where’re you going?” Cloyne’s voice halted Link before he could make a dash for Epona.

_“I have something I need to do. What I should have done before.”_ Link’s lips lifted into a genuine smile. _“Have a blessed Skyloftia, Clyone.”_

“Happy Skyloftia, hero of Hyrule.”

* * *

“The light shades of Hylian hair are so hard to come by,” Isha pleaded, looking more at Zelda’s long luscious locks than making eye contact. “If I were to make golden crowns, I’d be able to survive the post-holiday sale slump for sure.”

“So… you want me to sell you my hair?” Zelda asked, her mouth dry as she let her trembling hands hover over her tresses. Something about letting someone simply hack them off with little time for her to mull it over felt almost violating. “I—I don’t know.”

“I promise I will make it worth your while, Princess,” the jeweler went on, respectfully keeping her distance when she saw how uncomfortable Zelda looked. “With how rare a find gold hair is, I would easily make back the purchase price.”

“Isha, I just don’t—”

“One thousand rupees.”

Zelda blinked, positive that she had heard incorrectly. “I beg your pardon?”

“I will buy your hair for one thousand rupees. You need the money, and I need the business”

Her hands slid away from her hair, feeling as if she had just been slammed over the head with a moblin club. _One thousand._ She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen that much money, it had to have been before the Calamity. What a turn of luck! Not only would she be able to buy Link’s gift, but she would have plenty of money left over to last them nearly a month. She could finally start pulling her weight living under Link’s roof, replacing the ratty window coverings with nicer ones, getting a new bed for them, the possibilities were endless.

But her hair… she shook her head. It was ordinary hair. It would grow back. Link was anything but ordinary.

“Alright.”

“Really?!” Isha nearly leapt into the air. “You’ll really do it?!”

“Yes. I’m not in any position to refuse.” The more Zelda said it aloud, the easier it became to stomach. After a hundred years with the same hair, perhaps the time had come for a change anyway.

_“Sarqso,_ Your Highness! Just—just wait for one moment while I get ready. I know what I’m doing. Mostly.” Isha slid a floor length mirror in front of Zelda’s stool before dashing off for her tools, and Zelda slowly removed the blue clips holding her bangs in place. Unravelling the crowned braid at the top and letting it all ripple downward, she took a deep breath and watched her reflection do the same.

All of her ancestors had kept their hair long, flowing and elegant for thousands upon thousands of years. From Hylia herself to the princess reincarnated as a tomboyish pirate captain. Even the princess who had aided the Hero of Time disguised as a man kept her long hair intact. All of them, up until now.

And Zelda let her breath out slowly, ready to leave that legacy behind in severed strands on the floor.

* * *

“Link! You’re back, and you’ve come alone this time.” Claree greeted him with the cheery face of any merchant he had ever come across. But Link had never felt such contempt before as he did now, stomping his boots off unnecessarily roughly before stalking towards the counter of her boutique.

_“I’ve come for the garlands,”_ he signed, his expression blank.

“The garlands? You mean…” Claree’s face blanched. “You saw me show them to Princess Zelda?”

Link nodded, pointing to the back window of the shop, and the girl nodded in comprehension.

“I haven’t priced them yet, I had planned to wait until after Skyloftia.” She shirked back a bit from Link’s hardened unmovable stare. “B-but if you’re that interested, I estimate my asking price is somewhere between five hundred and one thousand rupees.”

_“No,”_ Link shook his head, his brow knitting deeper and his jaw set tightly. _“I am here to take those garlands and bring them to their rightful heir, Princess Zelda of Hyrule.”_

“Link, I already told the Princess I cannot just give them—”

_“How dare you!”_ Link signed at her aggressively, vocalizing a loud growl that made Claree back away. _“How dare you and your associates profit off a royal family doomed to tragedy time and time again. Their legacy still lives as long as Zelda is alive and breathing, whether she’s in a castle with gowns and riches or not. And you’ve no right to withhold her ancestors’ belongings from her.”_

Claree’s eyes darted every which way in an attempt to read Link’s rapidfire Hylian Sign, growing more anxious by the minute. When Link’s fingers finally ceased, he was panting heavily as if he had just run a great distance, surveying her face for a satisfactory response. “I can see where you are coming from, believe me I can. But if my seller finds out I gave his rarest find away for nothing, it’s— it’s unheard of! He’ll never provide stock here again and I’ll be out of a job!”

Link scowled, turning away in disgust to pace the floor, and Claree sounded near tears when next she blurted out, “The only way I could possibly give it to you without payment is if you had something of value to trade for it!”

He halted at that, spinning on his heel to face her. _“Then I’ll give you whatever you want.”_ He took his bow and shield off his back and laid them on the counter, extracting his quiver full of every type of arrow imaginable and placing it on top of them.

“Uh…” Claree glanced down at Link’s offer warily. “I’m afraid that’s not enough.” He went on from there, removing his earrings and placing them down with twin clatters.

_“All of this. You can take the shirt off my back too if you want.”_

“Link, it must be something of equal value. These are all fine and good, but they hardly add up to the cost of the garlands. I...I’m sorry.”

To her credit, she really did seem as regretful as she said, and it was the only reason why Link didn’t launch himself over the counter and wring her neck. Instead he merely gave her a resigned _“thank you”_ and gathered his belongings, slinging the bow and shield back onto his shoulders. He grunted in frustration, realizing the bow string was caught on one of his belt straps, and promptly took out his father’s dagger to cut it free.

“What is that?” Claree perked up suddenly, gesturing to his hand.

Link followed her gaze to the dagger. _“I found it,”_ he decided on after a moment of thought.

“May I?” She grabbed his hand without waiting for an answer and studied the rusted golden hilt, her eyes widening at the etching of the royal family crest under the blade. “Link, this isn’t just any old dagger— only the highest ranking soldiers carried these. This must have belonged to a captain or general at least a hundred years ago!” She clapped a hand to her mouth in disbelief, “Just one of these is probably worth more than its weight.”

_“How…much?”_ Link signed slowly, afraid of the answer. Claree tugged it free of his grip to take a closer look, leaving its owner waiting with bated breath.

“I would say at most, eight hundred rupees.”

_“So enough for the garlands? You’re sure?”_

“Yes,” Claree answered without hesitation. “I-I’m sure I could sell this for the same price or even more. Very few of these blades were ever made, and they were exclusive to those held in the highest esteem by the king of Hyrule himself.”

Link knew this. He had faint flashes in his fractured memories of watching King Rhoam present his newly promoted father with this ceremonial dagger. The more he recalled his brave and unconditionally loving father, the harder it was getting to watch Claree fawn over his possession as if it were just another expensive trinket. He swiftly took it back from her, nearly nicking her fingers in the process.

“But wait! A moment ago you were willing to trade everything!”

_“Not this.”_

Claree bit her lip, “Wait here.” She disappeared into the back room while Link stood shocked still, clutching the dagger so tightly that the unprotected blade began to cut into his palm.

_Don’t lose your heart amidst your pride._ It was the one thing he remembered his father telling him. Link’s eyes burned, blurring his vision so much that he dropped his eyes to the countertop. His heart was so full. It had never stopped being full ever since he began to regain his lost memories. He loved his father, and he would never stop missing him as long as he lived. There was no way he could just hand over the only thing he had left of his.

“Here, look.” Claree came back into view carrying the same velvet box Link had watched her show Zelda. Opening the lid, the ribbons gleamed even brighter white gold up close than from afar, not one breath of age having tarnished their luster. They would look lovely shimmering against Zelda’s long gold hair he could never get tired of running his fingers through. They were perfect for her.

His watery gaze traveled back to the dagger. A piece of his father would always be with him as long as he held it, and part of Link wasn’t ready to let that go. His chest physically ached at the thought of it. But the other part of him — the more rational part, he gathered — knew that it wasn’t the dagger that kept his father close to him. Holding onto it wouldn’t make the time it would take to regain all the memories of him go any faster. 

It certainly wouldn’t bring him back. And as much as Link loved his father, there was someone else very much alive and well who he loved even more.

Unable to hide the tears brimming in his eyes, Link released his grip on the dagger and pressed it onto the counter before Claree.

* * *

Zelda was not used to feeling the chill of the wintry air on the back of her neck when the Sheikah Slate brought her back to Hateno Village that evening. Taking the fuschia scarf from around her waist Isha had given her in thanks, she wrapped it around her head as she hurried over the bridge to the house she and Link shared. The light in the window and the aroma wafting from the chimney indicated that he was already in full meal preparation mode, and so she made it a plan to keep out of his way until he was ready for her.

“I’m home!” she called happily as various delicious smells and sounds of sizzling oil and clanging pans greeted her. Link immediately left the stove to go to her, leaving a powdery floured kiss on her cheek before he went to turn the stove down to a simmer. “Is there anything I can help with?”

_“Not now,”_ he signed distractedly, _“Food can wait.”_ He pushed her over to the couch and sat her down before she could remove her scarf and show him her new look. Beside them, candles flickered in glass jars around the humble Skyloftian tree, topped with an old statuette of the Hero of the Skies whom this day was for. Zelda smiled amusedly— he bore very little resemblance to her Link, whose more angular features shone with excitement in the dancing flames.

“Link! We’re not supposed to do presents until tomorrow, you know that,” Zelda scolded him as he dove under the tree for a reddish colored box.

_“I want to see your face when you open this.”_ He slid next to her and placed the velvet box in her hands, watching her brow furrow until her eyes slowly widened in realization.

“This is from Claree’s Boutique.” Her head snapped up, “No… did you really see... this can’t be.”

_“Only one way to find out,”_ Link prodded, cupping his hands around hers. She closed her eyes and lifted the lid. When she opened them again, there they were. The garlands of Hyrule’s Princess from the Era of Twilight, just as silvery and magnificent as they had been before.

“Oh Link,” Zelda breathed sadly, “Link, thank you so _so_ much, I… I love them.”

_“What’s wrong?”_ Link’s face wilted like flowers during the first frost at the sorrow in his love’s eyes.

“I can’t wear them. I mean I want to, but I physically cannot wear them.” Slowly, she removed the scarf from around her head, and Link’s jaw practically hit the floor. Her golden hair, once long and flowing, was now cut short to just under her pointed ears and framed nicely around her heart-shaped face. “I had to do it so— well, do you like it?”

Link stared dumbfounded, his mouth moving like a fish out of water until he was able to compose himself. His hand came up, tenderly stroking the newly frayed ends of her hair until his mouth upturned into a smile. _“I do. It’s a great look for you.”_

“Thank you. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it was rather spur of the moment. You see, I needed to sell it.”

_“You sold your hair?”_ he signed in utter shock.

“I had to, in order to get—” She clapped a hand over her mouth, then reached for her bag next to her seat and flipped open the lapel. “This. For you.” Her shaking hand withdrew the solid gold dagger sheath, glittering subtly in the candlelight. “It’s hand-crafted by the Gerudo, so you know it’s excellent quality. I thought it would be perfect for your—”

_“My father’s dagger,”_ Link signed along with Zelda’s spoken words. She smiled, leaning in to peck his lips.

“Now go get it, I want to be sure it fits properly.” He didn’t move, his eyes instantly darting to the floor. “Link, go get the dagger.”

Again he turned away, resting his elbows on his knees and keeping his gaze downcast, desperate to remain numb. Until her hand touching his arm in concern made it near impossible.

“Link… how were you able to afford the braid garlands from Claree’s?”

_“I traded for them,”_ his lips formed with no sound.

Zelda took a sharp breath and let it out shakily. “And what did you trade?”

She watched his mouth twist in grief and his hand cover his eyes, tears instantly springing to her eyes and overflowing down her cheeks. “You didn’t. Oh my love, you _didn’t.”_ Zelda leaned her head against his shoulder, stroking his hair as Link scrubbed at his red eyes and blotchy nose. Having since gotten used to and even liking the idea of having short hair, she now cursed the fact that it rendered his gift to her useless. “You gave away your most valuable possession for _me?”_

_“No. It’s not my most valuable possession.”_ Link turned into her, cupping his hands around her face and bare neck, letting his soundless lips do the talking. _“I was clinging to someone long gone, and so was clinging too hard to the past. That dagger, and my father, are my past.”_ He captured her lips deeply with his, then pulled back to press their foreheads together. _“You, Zelda. My Princess, my love, are my present and future. I will trade everything if it means you’ll smile and be content with me from now until the day you die. That’s a promise.”_

Zelda fell into his arms, beginning to sob gently into his shoulder as he rocked her on the cushioned seat. “I feel like I’ve been such a burden to you ever since you rescued me. You didn’t have to bring me into your home, your new life, and especially not into your heart. But you— you still did.” He gripped her tighter and kissed her neck, his silent assurance that she was anything but a burden and every action had been born out of his love for her. 

“I gave away a piece of myself for you, Link. A symbol of my identity. And I will do it again and again and _again,_ until you shine with every bit of the same happiness and love you have given me.”

The candles burned low and the dinner grew cold, but there was no place warmer in Hyrule than within the embrace of the princess and her hero. And while many others had more to share with their wives, husbands, parents and children than these humble offerings, it was rare that such deep sacrificial love was shared between any two individuals across their great land.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are great, but comments are better :)


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